Family men still win the bread
Uneven income distribution between men and women remains a major challenge in balancing work and life within Swiss families, a study has revealed.
The survey released on Thursday by the Swiss Association of Commercial Employees says that in typical families, men are overwhelmingly the breadwinners.
In only four per cent of families do both partners work part-time.
According to the Federal Statistics Office, 76 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women worked in 2007. However, while 11 per cent of men held part-time jobs, the figure was over 50 per cent for women.
The association said that families suffer when men, who usually earn higher wages, opt for part-time employment; the lower-paid woman worker usually has to work more to compensate, or the family is forced to cut the budget.
Finding childcare is a difficulty for families in which both partners want to work full-time. The association says it is tricky to find in many companies, and has encouraged employees to incorporate childcare into wage negotiations.
Part-time employees are also at a pension disadvantage, the association said.
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